Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Portland, ME and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in Budapest: $1,621 a month against $2,994 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Portland, ME and in Budapest

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in South Portland, ME and in Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,994 per month in South Portland, ME vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

South Portland, ME $2,994
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $4,563 per month in South Portland, ME vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

South Portland, ME $4,563
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $6,131 per month in South Portland, ME vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

South Portland, ME $6,131
Budapest $3,489

South Portland, ME costs about 85% more than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both South Portland, ME and Budapest sit above the global median – South Portland, ME by 123%, Budapest by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$13.99 Ft 4,554

75.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

98.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.81 $14.81

$9.96 Ft 3,244

48.69%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$3.38 Ft 1,101

51.78%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.13 Ft 693

42.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.87 Ft 609

26.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$3.75 Ft 1,222

109.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.57 Ft 1,163

125.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.13 Ft 369

-8.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.84 Ft 599

147.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$2.39 Ft 777

202.51%

Eggs

$3.93 $3.93

$3.83 Ft 1,246

2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 $15.46

$11.33 Ft 3,688

36.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 $10.02

$6.74 Ft 2,193

48.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$14.69 Ft 4,783

8.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$1.84 Ft 598

175.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.01 Ft 654

-14.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.36 Ft 767

130.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$3.77 Ft 1,227

95.76%

Potato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$0.96 Ft 314

364.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.03 Ft 335

264.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.56 Ft 509

93.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.66 Ft 216

281.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.11 $11.11

$7.96 Ft 2,593

39.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$6.01 Ft 1,955

146.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.30 Ft 422

43.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.08 Ft 677

24.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.50 Ft 489

38.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.61 Ft 8,989

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.30 Ft 1,075

-37.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.30 Ft 424

21.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.11 $11.11

$19.78 Ft 6,441

-43.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.81 Ft 591

-39.78%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.1K $36.1K

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

22.97%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-26.38%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$239 $239

$170 Ft 55.3K

40.40%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$23.98 Ft 7,808

191.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.1 $78.1

$23.42 Ft 7,627

233.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 $61.0

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

-7.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.63 $29.63

$19.18 Ft 6,244

54.48%

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$9.52 Ft 3,101

59.77%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$402 $402

$537 Ft 174.8K

-25.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K $15.2K

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

-8.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$101 Ft 33.0K

-48.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 $52.3

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

21.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$113 Ft 36.7K

-8.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$119 Ft 38.7K

13.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 $1,933

$805 Ft 262.2K

140.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$629 Ft 204.9K

141.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,149 $3,149

$1,549 Ft 504.5K

103.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,643 $2,643

$1,167 Ft 380.0K

126.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,801 $2,801

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-50.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-39.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,254 $4,254

$1,626 Ft 529.4K

161.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.43

3.42%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 3, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.7%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 58.6% $891

Groceries & Markets

South Portland, ME

$446 14.9%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 42.3% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Portland, ME

$387 12.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 43.8% $169

Eating Out

South Portland, ME

$379 12.7%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 40.9% $155

Clothing & Footwear

South Portland, ME

$154 5.1%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 9.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

South Portland, ME

$91 3.1%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 6.7% $6.1

Getting Around

South Portland, ME

$18 * 0.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 138% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,933 in South Portland, ME versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 162% higher in South Portland, ME, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in South Portland, ME versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $446 vs $258 – making Budapest the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

08:52 8:52 AM

6 h ahead of South Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,498

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇭🇺 Hungarian Forint (Ft)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 326 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

HUF to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Portland, ME Budapest 6,560 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

South Portland, ME
Budapest

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

South Portland, ME vs Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – South Portland, ME is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,491 per month in South Portland, ME and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Budapest, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in South Portland, ME and $60.0 in Budapest. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 73% more in South Portland, ME, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Budapest, where all-in costs run around $1,621, than in South Portland, ME at $2,994. In Budapest it covers expenses comfortably, while in South Portland, ME it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Budapest – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Budapest. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, South Portland, ME makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.